This is an interesting idea from a website called useyourlocal.com It allows users to have their parcels delivered to their local pub so that they don’t have to wait in for deliveries. It costs a pub $50 a year to subscribe to the service, they then give customers a unique code which they enter when placing an order on a site such as Amazon. The landlord of the pub received an email when a delivery is on its way and the customer simply picks it up from the pub.

It looks like a good idea and something that could help the local pub become an important part of the community particularly at a time when many pubs are struggling. Looking at the website though there are currently no pubs offering this in my area. It does also appear to need quite a bit of updating as in my local area there are least 5 pubs listed on the site that I know have been closed for several years.

This is Momo a Chihuahua that this article claims is the world’s smallest police dog. The dog which weighs just 6.6lb is one of 32 successful candidates that have recently passed the test to become a police dog in the search and rescue division. The test involved finding a person in five minutes by sniffing their cap. It is thought that Momo will be particularly useful to the Japanese police force because of her small size which should allow her access to areas her bigger friends cannot reach.

I use Royal Mail’s Smartstamp software for printing most of my postage and whilst most of the postage is printed directly onto the envelope with my laser printer I rely on my trusty Dymo LabelWriter 400 to print postage for larger envelopes. The Dymo does a fairly good job printing onto 99012 (36 x 89mm) labels which look nice when stuck onto a C5 or A4 envelope. One thing that has always frustrated me, however, is that the Dymo has insisted on printing out both a postage label and address label thus using two labels when at times I only require one. Up to now I had assumed that the Dymo printed the double label by default but it seems there is a very easy way to get the machine to print a single postage label without the address. You simply need to select your postage options as normal (shown in the first screenshot) but make sure the “address” placement holder is deleted so that the address window contains no text. The Dymo will then happily print just the one label with your postage on it without the need to waste a second label. I still can’t believe this simple problem has been bugging me for so long.

This is Hatice Kocaman who at just 28in tall has recently been confirmed as the world’s shortest woman. She is now 21 years old but appears to have stopped growing when she was about four years old. Hatice who is pictured here with her mother was initially bullied for her small size but now says she feels much taller because she has become famous. There is currently only one adult in the world who is shorter than her and that’s the world’s shortest man Khagendra Thapa Magar who is just 25.8 inches tall.

The International Tiger Conservation Forum will meet in St Petersburg to discuss proposals on protecting habitats and growing tiger numbers. The meeting comes at a time when it is estimated that only 3,000 tigers remain in the wild. Tigers have suffered a 40% decline in the past decade mainly due to loss of habitat and poaching. The rate of decline suggests that without major changes some populations will disappear within the next 20 years. It is hoped that the summit will help to crack down on poaching and smuggling and set up cross boundary protected areas where it is necessary to protect the species. However, two elements missing in the talks are measures to reduce the demand for tiger skin, bones and body parts for traditional medicine and the use of tiger farms particularly in China. Currently things don’t look good for tigers but lets hope some agreements can be made that might improve their prospects.

According to this article pyjamas are becoming more popular with more Britons purchasing them. It appears, however, that they are not just worn in the bedroom. If the article is to be believed people are increasingly wearing them around the house instead of in the bedroom. Researchers say that the rise in people working from home and the fact that we are spending more evenings at home have fuelled the rise in popularity. It seems people are increasingly using pyjamas as loungewear to wear after coming home from work and before going to bed with many even choosing to wear them whilst working from home. I do like wearing my pyjamas in bed but don’t think I will comfortable wearing them whilst working from home. Despite the fact that most of my work is done online or over the phone somehow I just can’t feel professional whilst wearing my PJ’s.

According to this article 37% of native butterfly species are under threat of extinction or have already dies out. It is feared that many species could vanish within years due to the rise of intensive farming and the loss of habitats. According to conservationist butterflies determine the health of the environment so the decline not only affects other wildlife but also paints a bleak picture for other species.

The Butterfly Conservation charity has published a list of 23 butterfly species that are endangered of already extinct. A further 11 of our 72 species of native butterflies are also rated as near threatened with only half of species being considered safe. The extinct species include the black veined white, large copper, mazarine blue and large tortoiseshell. The large blue and high brown fritillary are listed as critically endangered. Species listed as endangered include the chequered skipper, wood white, white letter hairstreak, black hairstreak, duke of burgundy, pearl border fritillary, glanville fritillary and heath fritillary. Those listed as vulnerable include the dingy skipper, grizzled skipper, brown hairstreak, silver studded blue, northern brown argus, white admiral, marsh fritillary, grayling and large heath.

Whilst there have been some success stories with the large blue being drought back from the brink of extinction it appears there is still much to do. Butterflies are particularly vulnerable to the loss of grasslands which are rich in wildflowers and the poorer quality of woodlands. Pesticides and intensive farming are also largely to blame for their decline. Personally I leave wild areas of the garden where I encourage the wild flowers and the insects they bring with them. It might not be much but I tend to have all sorts of butterflies visiting in the summer.

These piggy banks are causing quite a bit of controversy because they are made from real piglets. The piglets have died naturally and not produced for the sole purpose of making the piggy banks. They are prepared by a taxidermist and include a coin slot in the back and a cork at the bottom. East piggy bank costs £2,518 and takes anything up to 12 months to make. They take so long to produce because they have to wait for a piglet to die from natural causes. They do look a little odd, I’m not sure I would want one sitting on my coffee table.

This rare pink diamond has recently been sold for a world record price of £29 million. The diamond was recently sold at auction and has broken the record for the most ever paid for a jewel. It was purchased by the British billionaire jeweller Laurence Graff who seems very pleased with his purchase. The diamond weighs 24.78 carets and is unusual because of its perfect pink colour. It certainly is pretty.

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